Carly Fiorina on Gun Control

Strong supporter of Second Amendment gun rights

Fiorina has said that she is a strong supporter of second-amendment gun rights and that she opposed the 1994 bill which banned a large group of semi-automatic or assault weapons. In the 2010 U.S. Senate race, Fiorina said the
No-Fly list is broad and some people on it should be allowed to own a gun. Politifact reviewed her statements on the issue and noted that at the time she did not have a firm stance on other potential proposed limits on gun access.

Source: PBS News Hour "2016 Candidate Stands" series
, May 4, 2015

Opposed 1994 assault weapon ban; opposes no-fly list gun ban

The no-fly list is still an issue. The election, Boxer said, "is a choice between someone who is working to keep our airlines safe and working to keep guns out the hands of terrorists, versus someone who believes that those on the suspected terrorist
no-fly list should be able to buy a gun--any gun."

Fiorina dismissed Boxer's recent focus on gun control--including Fiorina's opposition to the 1994 assault weapons ban--as a "desperate attempt" to distract voters from the real issues that concern
them, including the dismal economy and need for job creation. Fiorina sidestepped a question about her support for allowing people on the federal government's no-fly list to purchase firearms. "Barbara Boxer knows perfectly well the difference between
the terrorist watch list and the no-fly list, and if she doesn't know the difference, then that's really a problem," Fiorina said. "It was Boxer who voted to give constitutional rights to terrorists. Boxer's record on national security is fairly weak."

Let people on no-fly list purchase guns; it's poorly managed

The debate between Boxer and Fiorina over the no-fly list emerged after a May primary debate in Los Angeles at which the moderator asked Fiorina and her then-opponents whether people on the "no-fly watch list" should "be allowed to purchase a gun."

Fiorina said they should: "The no-fly list has been, unfortunately, way too large, and I know people who have been on it who have been stopped and if we permit anyone who is on that no-fly list to have their 2nd Amendment rights taken away from them,
that's a terrible problem," she said.

During a subsequent debate with Boxer in September in Moraga, Fiorina asserted that her sister-in-law, a friend's husband and the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts had all been on the no-fly list, which
she added "isn't particularly well managed."

But Fiorina was mistaken at least in part, according to a TSA myth-fact document: Kennedy was never on the no-fly list--but his name closely matched that of someone on the watch list.

Assault weapon ban is arbitrary about which weapons qualify

Fiorina restated her opposition to the federal assault weapons ban, saying the law is vague and ineffective. "We have loads of laws, and most of the time, criminals are breaking those laws and we are curtailing citizens' lawful rights to carry guns," she
said. "The assault weapons ban is extremely arbitrary about what qualifies as an assault weapon."

Boxer countered that such bans have kept people safe. "To go back to that dangerous yesterday makes no sense," she said. "It has bipartisan support."

No-fly list is mismanaged; don't bar gun sales based on it

Q: During a debate, you said that people on the no-fly list--for alleged terror connections--should be able to go out and buy guns. Isn't that a security risk?

A: Well, it might be if the no-fly list was better managed. But the truth is Ted Kennedy was
on the no-fly list. A 7- year-old boy was on the no-fly list. My wonderful sister-in-law was on the no-fly list.

A: But there are also some bad guys on the no-fly list. Don't you want to prevent them from getting guns?

A: Well, sure, if we really
knew who the bad guys were, and those were the only people on the no-fly list, but the truth is the no-fly list, by the government's own admission, is far too broad. So why should a law-abiding US citizen who has the right to bear arms be prevented from
doing so because of government incompetence? This is what people are crazed over. We have a government getting bigger and bigger, taxes getting higher and higher, but we don't see improving competence. We see deteriorating competence.

The Christian Coalition voter guide [is] one of the most powerful tools Christians have ever had to impact our society during elections. This simple tool has helped educate tens of millions of citizens across this nation as to where candidates for public office stand on key faith and family issues.

The CC survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Further restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms"

While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has, since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world. But our successes would not be possible without the tireless efforts and countless hours of service our nearly three million members have given to champion Second Amendment rights and support NRA programs.

The following ratings are based on lifetime voting records on gun issues and the results of a questionaire sent to all Congressional candidates; the NRA assigned a letter grade (with A+ being the highest and F being the lowest).

What the Grades Mean:

A+: A legislator with not only an excellent voting record on all critical NRA issues, but who has also made a vigorous effort to promote and defend the Second Amendment.

A: Solidly pro-gun candidate including voting record.

AQ: A pro-gun candidate whose rating is based solely on the NRA-PVF Candidate Questionnaire and who does not have a voting record.

B: A generally pro-gun candidate; may have opposed some pro-gun reform in the past.

C: A candidate with a mixed record or positions on gun related issues, who may oppose some pro-gun positions.

D: An anti-gun candidate who usually supports restrictive gun control legislation. Regardless of public statements, can usually be counted on to vote wrong on key issues.

F: True enemy of gun owners' rights. A consistent anti-gun candidate.

?: Refused to answer the NRA-PVF Candidate Questionnaire, often an indication of indifference, if not outright hostility, to gun owners' rights.